According to Qur?an and Sunnah there are basically six criteria for observing hijaab:
1. Extent:

The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered. This is different for men and women. The extent of covering obligatory on the male is to cover the body at least from the navel to the knees. For women, the extent of covering obligatory is to cover the complete body except the face and the hands upto the wrist. If they wish to, they can cover even these parts of the body. Some scholars of Islam insist that the face and the hands are part of the obligatory extent of ?hijaab?.but i was wondering if allah created races of colour and gave features to reconginse each other ,then why do some cover the face from the front ....sum times i can understand depending on circumstances and where the person is?i did read a verses on this in the qur'aan but i cant remember at this moment.

All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women.

2. The clothes worn should be loose and should not reveal the figure.
3. The clothes worn should not be transparent such that one can see through them.
4. The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite gender.
5. The clothes worn should not resemble that of the opposite gender.
6. The clothes worn should not resemble that of the unbelievers i.e. they should not wear clothes that are specifically identities or symbols of the unbelievers? religions.

Hijaab includes conduct and behaviour among other things
Complete ?hijaab?, besides the six criteria of clothing, also includes the moral conduct, behaviour, attitude and intention of the individual. A person only fulfilling the criteria of ?hijaab? of the clothes is observing ?hijaab? in a limited sense. ?Hijaab? of the clothes should be accompanied by ?hijaab? of the eyes, ?hijaab? of the heart, ?hijaab? of thought and ?hijaab? of intention. It also includes the way a person walks, the way a person talks, the way he behaves, etc.

Hijaab prevents molestation
The reason why Hijaab is prescribed for women is mentioned in the Qur?an.

Surah Al-Ahzab:ch33:v59

"O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad); that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

The Qur?an says that Hijaab has been prescribed for the women so that they are recognized as modest women and this will also prevent them from being molested.

Final thing i would like to say it is not upto me to say, wear a hijjab or do not wear one(alhough i respect people more- if ther was some form of covering in accordance with the above).as i am aware of othere issues around the hijjab of mistaken impressions job issues, i would not have a problem if someone asked to wear a hijab whilst at work.if i you worked for say me as a muslim, i may ask you to consider loose ends are secure,tuk them in etc if you are near machinery and drills etc...i may ask you to wear a neat and clean hijjab,and in a colour that does not clash with the business company uniform.i belive that islamic dress code is modern and practical even to this day.many of us study and work without any problems.remeber that in the u.k ,you are entitled by your employer to pray and take time out in accordance with European directives and employment law we must tell you in writing,but we have doing this before the laws came into force from the sharia point to respect evry1 who works alongside us.

The case of Hijab is one of many dogmas that are considered areas that ?normal? people are not allowed to discuss or even to explore using their own brains, meaning that only few people gave themselves the right to think for others under the name of ?Scholars? taking Islam back to where the Roman church was, during the mid ages, needless to say how much damage would that cause!
I myself spent long time reading and researching, and even if I still cannot find the right answer about the ?Hijab? after reading whatever resources I could find, I still believe that this is one of hundreds of issues that Muslims are taking for granted, it is so important that Muslims go back and study the Qur?an again and interpret it based on their needs in this modern world, doing that doesn?t lessen the respect that we ?Muslims? have toward our great religion, that will actually enrich our understanding for Islam and minimize the danger of the so-called ?Scholars?

There are few things that I need to mention:
1)What makes Islam different than other religions is the simplicity in it, Islam has one major reference ?the Qur?an? it is the source that Muslims can use at anytime and anywhere, and whatever contradicts the Qur?an is wrong even if it is a Hadith, that said there is no need for Muslims to depend on someone to translate the Qur?an or interpret it based on what goes with his own benefits.

2)The major obligations in Qur?an were stated clearly, like fasting ?therefore whoever of you is present in the month, he shall fast therein,..?, praying, charity, are other examples.

3)The understanding of Islam is mixed with the traditions, in order for the tradition to live in the community the tradition takes a new shape based on what is accepted by the traditional group, a good example for this would be the Muslim 40 days mourning period after the death of a close relative (usually husband), which is an old Egyptian tradition known as ?mummification? where the body of the Pharaoh used to be dried out by stuffing it with salt for 40 days.

Quran is very clear about the dress code for the believers. Innovations and fabrication intorduced Hijab (veil) to Islam (submission.) Hijab (veil) is a traditional, not religious head cover that dates back to ancient civilizations, and is not supported or advocated by the Quran.

INTRODUCTION:

God, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful, insists on making His religion easy, practical and enjoyable for His true believers. God also told us that those who reject Him or His books are making life miserable for themselves and for their loved ones who follow in their footsteps.

He reminds us in the Quran that He has placed no hardship on us in practicing our religion (see 22:78).

"You shall strive for the cause of GOD as you should strive for His cause. He has chosen you and has placed no hardship on you in practicing your religion - the religion of your father Abraham. ................................" 22:78

God established also several rules in His book, the Quran, for His TRUE believers. Breaking any of His rules or refusing any of them means loss, misguidance, misery and eternal suffering. To understand a topic like the DRESS CODE for Muslim Women, we need to review quickly some of these rules established by our Creator, God Almighty, to whom we will be responsible for our deeds. Every rule is important and every rule is meant to be.

(1) The Quran is a complete book, See 6:19,38,114, 115, 12:111 and 50:45.

Remember that when God says that His book is complete, it means 100% complete.

"..........We did not leave ANYTHING out of this book." 6:38

"The word of your Lord is COMPLETE, in truth and justice. Nothing shall abrogate His words. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient." 6:115

(2) The Quran is perfect; no mistakes, no falsehood, no nonsense.

"No falsehood could enter it (Quran), in the past or in the future; a revelation from a Most Wise, Praiseworthy." 41:42

".......All ruling belongs to God, and He has ruled that you shall not worship except Him. This is the PERFECT RELIGION, but most people do not know." 12:40 (see also 30:30, 30:43 and 98:5).

(3) The Quran is detailed, and when God says He detailed His book it means FULLY detailed. God does not do half jobs.

"Shall I seek other than GOD as a source of law, when He has revealed to you this book fully detailed? Those who received the scripture recognize that it has been revealed from your Lord, truthfully. You shall not harbor any doubt." 6:114 (See also, 7:52, 11:1, 41:3, 10:37 and 12:111)

(4) God does not need any addition to His book. God teaches us in the Quran that He does not run out of words and that if He so willed He could have given us hundreds, thousands or millions of books besides the Quran (see 18:109). Since the Quran is complete, perfect and fully detailed, God did not give us any more books.

(5) God calls His book, the Quran, the BEST HADITH. HE called on His true believers to accept no other hadiths as a source of this perfect religion . See 7:185, 31:6, 39:23, 45:6, and 77:50.

"Have they not looked at the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all the things God has created? Does it ever occur to them that the end of their life may be near? Which HADITH, besides this (Quran) do they believe in?" 7:185

(6) God calls on His true believers to make sure not to fall in the trap of idol-worship by following the words of the scholars instead of the words of God (see 9:31).

(7) God calls those who prohibit what He did not prohibit, aggressors, liars and idol-worshipers. Idol-worship is the only unforgivable sin, if maintained till death. See, 5:87, 9:37, 7:32, 6:119, 6:140 and 10:59.

"O you who believe, do not prohibit good things that are made lawful by God, and do not aggress; God dislikes the aggressors." 5:87

"Say, "Did you note how God sends down to you all kinds of provisions, then you render some of them unlawful, and some lawful?" Say, "Did God give you permission to do this? Or, do you fabricate lies and attribute them to God?" 10:59

(8) Muhammed is represented only by the Quran. The Prophet Muhammed was the last Prophet and a messenger of God (33:40). He was not the messenger of God because of who he (Muhammed) was, but because he was given the Quran (the message) to deliver to the world. The religion of Islam is a religion of God, not about Muhammed, who was blessed by God with the delivery of the message of the Quran. He did not have an agenda of his own. His job was to deliver to the world what God was giving him, the Quran. See 42:48, 13:40, 5:99-100

Muhammed cannot prohibit things, or make lawful things on his own. When he tried to do that God admonished him publicly, see 66:1

"O you prophet, why do you prohibit what GOD has made lawful for you, just to please your wives? GOD is Forgiver, Merciful." 66:1

66:1 reminds us that God is the only ONE to prohibit or make things lawful. NO ONE can attribute to Muhammed a prohibition that God did not give him in the Quran. Anyone who tries to do so is admitting his/her refusal of God's words and commandments in the Quran.

(9) The TRUE believers KNOW that when God says something, He means it, and when He does not, he means it as well. Everything given to us in the Quran was done deliberately and everything left out was also left out deliberately.

God does not forget. See 19:64. We are not to add to this religion what God deliberately left out and claim it to be from Him or His messenger. His messenger has only ONE message, the Quran. God already told us He does not run out of words. 18:109

(10) God does not need us to improve on His book, the Quran, but we very much need Him for every aspect of our lives. Those who think they have some improvement on the Quran are but asking for recognition of their idols as gods besides the ONE and ONLY GOD.

Fabricated hadiths tried to add to Islam (Submission) what the disbelievers thought God forgot to mention in the Quran.

(11) God calls on His TRUE believers to verify every piece of information they see, hear or read, see 17:36.

"You shall not accept any information, unless you verify it for yourself. I have given you the hearing, the eyesight, and the brain, and you are responsible for using them." 17:36

So, Please VERIFY for yourself.

THREE RULES FOR WOMEN DRESS CODE

IN ISLAM (SUBMISSION)

FIRST RULE : THE BEST GARMENT

[7:26] "O children of Adam, we have provided you with garments to cover your bodies, as well as for luxury. But the best garment is the garment of righteousness. These are some of GOD's signs, that they may take heed."

This is the BASIC rule of DRESS CODE in the Quran. This is the first rule in WOMEN DRESS CODE in Islam (Submission).

SECOND RULE : COVER YOUR BOSOMS

The second rule can be found in 24:31. Here God orders the women to cover their bosoms whenever they dress up. But before quoting 24:31 let us review some crucial words that are always mentioned with this topic, namely "Hijab" and "Khimar"

THE WORD "HIJAB" in the QURAN

"Hijab" is the term used by many Muslims women to describe their head cover that may or may not include covering their face except their eyes, and sometimes covering also one eye. The Arabic word "Hijab" can be translated into veil or yashmak. Other meanings for the word "Hijab" include, screen, cover(ing), mantle, curtain, drapes, partition, division, divider.

Can we find the word "Hijab" in the Quran??

The word "Hijab" appeared in the Quran 7 times, five of them as "Hijab" and two times as "Hijaban," these are 7:46, 33:53, 38:32, 41:5, 42:51, 17:45 & 19:17.

None of these "Hijab" words are used in the Quran in reference to what the traditional Muslims call today (Hijab) as a dress code for the Muslim woman.

God knows that generations after Muhammed's death the Muslims will use the word "Hijab" to invent a dress code that He never authorized. God used the word "Hijab" ahead of them just as He used the word "Hadith" ahead of them.

Hijab in the Quran has nothing to do with the Muslim Women dress code.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

While many Muslims call "Hijab", an Islamic dress code, they completely ignore the fact that, Hijab as a dress code has nothing to do with Islam and nothing to do with QURAN.

"Hijab" or veil can be traced back to early civilizations. It can be found in early and late Roman and Greek art. The evidence can be seen in archeological discoveries whether in pottery fragments, paintings or recorded civil laws. In Greco-Roman culture, both women and men wore head covering in religious contexts. The tradition of wearing the veil (by women) and the headcover (by men) was then adopted by the Jews who wrote it in the Talmud (Talmud equals the Hadiths and Sunna, neither are the words of God) then the Christians adopted the same. A well respected Rabbi once explained to a group of Jewish young women, "We do not find a direct command in the Torah mandating that women cover their heads, but we do know that this has been the continuing custom for thousands of years." After the prophet Muhammad's death , the writers of the hadith books adopted and encouraged the ancient tradition of head covering. Hadith book' writers took after the Jews as they did with many other traditions , and alleged them to the pro...

God, the Most Merciful, gave us three basic rules for the Dress Code for Women in Islam (Submission),

(1) The BEST garment is the garment of righteousness.

(2) Whenever you dress , cover your chest (bosoms).

(3) Lengthen your garment.

While these three BASIC rules may not sound enough for those who do not trust God, the TRUE believers know that God is ENOUGH. God could have given us more details to the point of having graphs, designs and color rules, but He , the Most Merciful, wants to give us exactly these very basic rules and leave the rest for us. After these three basic rules every woman is more aware of her circumstances and can adjust her dress for her situation. Any addition to these basic Quranic rules is an attempt to correct God or improve on His merciful design.

[7:26] "O children of Adam, we have provided you with garments to cover your bodies, as well as for luxury. But the best garment is the garment of righteousness. These are some of GOD's signs, that they may take heed."

This is the BASIC rule of DRESS CODE in the Quran. This is the first rule in WOMEN DRESS CODE in Islam (Submission). What is inside your heart is more important for God that the dress you wear.

SECOND RULE : COVER YOUR BOSOMS

The second rule can be found in 24:31. Here God orders the women to cover their bosoms whenever they dress up. First, let us review some crucial words that are always mentioned with this topic, namely "Hijab" and "Khimar"

THE WORD "HIJAB" in the QURAN

"Hijab" is the term used by many Muslims women to describe their head cover that may or may not include covering their face except their eyes, and sometimes covering also one eye. The Arabic word "Hijab" can be translated into veil or yashmak. Other meanings for the word "Hijab" include, screen, cover(ing), mantle, curtain, drapes, partition, division, divider.

Can we find the word "Hijab" in the Quran??

The word "Hijab" appeared in the Quran 7 times, five of them as "Hijab" and two times as "Hijaban," these are 7:46, 33:53, 38:32, 41:5, 42:51, 17:45 & 19:17.

None of these "Hijab" words are used in the Quran in reference to what the traditional Muslims call today (Hijab) as a dress code for the Muslim woman.

Hijab as it appears in the Quran has nothing to do with the Muslim Women dress code.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

While many Muslims call "Hijab", an Islamic dress code, they completely ignore the fact that, Hijab as a dress code has nothing to do with Islam and nothing to do with QURAN.

In reality "Hijab" is an old pre-Jewish tradition that infiltrated into the hadith books like many innovations that contaminated Islam through alleged Hadith and Sunna.

The traditional Arabs, of all religions, Jews, Christians and Muslims used to wear "Hijab," not because of Islam, but because of tradition. In certain areas of the world, men are the ones who wear the hijab while in others the women do.

THE WORD "KHIMAR" in the QURAN:

"Khimar" is an Arabic word that can be found in the Quran in 24:31 It is the word that the interpreters or translators use to claim that head cover is in the Quran. "Khimar" means, cover, any cover, a curtain is a Khimar, a dress is a Khimar, a table cloth that covers the top of a table is a Khimar, a blanket is a Khimar..etc. Most of the translators, obviously influenced by Hadith (fabrications) translate the word as VEIL or head cover, and thus mislead most people to believe that this verse is advocating the covering of the head.

In 24:31 God is asking the women to use their cover (khimar)( being a dress, a coat, a shawl, a shirt, a blouse, a tie, a scarf . . . etc.) to cover their bosoms, not their heads or their hairs. If God so willed to order the women to cover their heads or their hair, nothing would have prevented Him from doing so. GOD does not run out of words. GOD does not forget. Those who see the head cover in this verse lost their focus of the verse. The verse is ordering the women to be sure to cover their upper chest. The verse does NOT order the women to cover their heads or hair. Even if you accept their interpretation of the word Khimar to mean head cover, the verse is not ordering the women to cover their head but to cover the opening of the chest in their dress. If God wills, He would have given the order clear, cover your heads, but He did NOT. God does not wait for a Scholar to put the correct words for Him!

THIRD RULE : LENGTHEN YOUR GARMENTS

The first regulation of DRESS CODE for Muslim women is in 7:26, the second is in 24:31 and the third is in

33:59

"O prophet, tell your wives, your daughters, and the wives of the believers that they shall LENGTHEN their garments. Thus, they will be recognized and avoid being insulted. God is Forgiver, Most Merciful." 33:59

In 33:59, God sets the other regulation for the dress code for the Muslim women during the prophet's life.

Although the verse is talking to the prophet which means this regulation applies to the time of the prophet, just like the order in 49:2, the description fits the spirit of Islam (Submission in English), and can teach us a great deal.

In this verse, God, DELIBERATELY, said, tell them, to lengthen their garments, and never said how long is long. God could have said tell them to lengthen their garments to their ankles or to their mid-calf or to their knees, but HE DID NOT. He did not, OUT OF HIS MERCY, not because HE FORGOT as God does not forget. God knows that we will be living in different communities and have different cultures and insists that the minor details of this dress code will be left for the people of every community to hammer for themselves.

It is clear from the above verses that the DRESS CODE for the Muslim women (Submitters) according to the Quran is righteousness and modesty. God knows that this modesty will be understood differently in different communities and that is why He left it open to us to decide for ourselves.

CONCLUSION:

God, the Most Merciful, gave us three basic rules for the Dress Code for Women in Islam (Submission),

(1) The BEST garment is the garment of righteousness.

(2) Whenever you dress , cover your chest (bosoms).

(3) Lengthen your garment.

While these three BASIC rules may not sound enough for those who do not trust God, the TRUE believers know that God is ENOUGH. God could have given us more details to the point of having graphs, designs and color rules, but He , the Most Merciful, wants to give us exactly these very basic rules and leave the rest for us. After these three basic rules every woman is more aware of her circumstances and can adjust her dress for her situation. Any addition to these basic Quranic rules is an attempt to correct God or improve on His merciful design.

We have no obligation to follow but God's rules, just as His messenger did all the time. Innovations and fabrications that added thousands of rules to the women dress code are nothing but idol-worship and should be refused.

Islam (Submission in English) is the most open, simple and only religion given to mankind. All the other religions used to be the same in principle and practice with minor variations. It is that man-made innovations added to these religions (including Islam) which covered he truth covered completely by piles of nonsense rules and regulations. These nonsense rules and regulations came from traditions and lies attributed to the prophet. As time passed, most of the people confused what is religion and what is tradition or a well told lie.
Make it a rule, from now on, whenever any statement does not make sense to you, check the Quran. Chances are you will not find it in the Quran, the true word of God.

Women dress code in Islam has been abused by traditionalist beyond the limits. God in the Quran has set few rules for this dress code and deliberately ignored many others. God is the Most Merciful, and wants us to have many choices. No man on earth can take from us what God gave us